Sunday, October 24, 2010

Juan Vicente Torrealba

Juan Vicente Torrealba

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Juan Vincente Torrealba is known as a Venezuelan harpist and composer. He was born to his parents Santana Torres Silva and Maria Esperanza Perez in Caracas on December 20, 1917. He spent his childhood in the town of Camaguan, where he learned how to tame horses, haul cattle and swim across the channels. He learned how to play the guitar at age 18, and then experimented with the harp in1947.

That year he formed his own musical group called the Torrealberos, which included himself, his brother Arturo, his nephew Santana Torrealba Leon and vocalist Angel Custodio Loyola. They played at various social functions. The following year, Juan began writing his own music. His first composition was called Las Caricias de Cristina. The Torrealberos started recording their own music with the help of pianist Maria Luisa Escobar. By the 1960s, the band was touring in Europe, the U.S. and all throughout Latin America.

His album Rapsodia Llanera came out in 1971, where he collaborated with a full orchestra. In 1978 he disbanded the Torrealberos to form Juan Vincente Torrealba and his Super Beat 80, a dance orchestra. They had only released one album, and eventually he bgan playing alongside symphony orchestras. He finally retired in 1986.